Alternator Notes

ALTERNATOR
PART-9
VOLTAGE REGULATION
Methods to find Voltage regulation
ii. M.M.F. or Ampere-turn Method
• Armature leakage reactance is treated as an additional armature reaction(mmf

phenomenon).
• Assumed that the change in terminal voltage on load is due entirely to armature reaction
• Field current required to produce on no-load can be found from O.C.C (Ifm)
• Field current required to produce rated armature current under short circuit condition
(Ifa)
• Find Ift = Ifm + Ifa (Vector sum)

VOLTAGE REGULATION
• Sum in any p.f. between zero (lagging or leading) and unity
• Field ampere-turns OA corresponding to V(or V + IRa cos Փ)

• AB representing full-load short-circuit field current is drawn
at an angle of
• (90° + Փ) for a lagging p.f.
• (90° - Փ) for a leading p.f.
• 90° for a upf
VOLTAGE REGULATION
• OA represents field current for normal voltage

V.(Ifm)
• OC represents field current required for

producing full-load current on short-circuit (Ifa)
• Ab = OC
• Drawn OC at an angle of (90° + Փ) to OA (for
P.F. lagging).
• The total field current is OB (Ift) for which the

corresponding O.C. Voltage is E0
VOLTAGE REGULATION
• Project Ift to OCC and take the value, which is E
• Find regulation
● This method gives results which are less than the actual results
● That is why it is sometimes referred to as optimistic method.

VOLTAGE REGULATION
iii. Zero Power Factor Method or Potier Method
• It gives more accurate results
It requires
(i) OCC
(ii) full-load zero power factor curve also called wattless load characteristic
VOLTAGE REGULATION
ZERO POWER FACTOR CURVE ALSO CALLED WATTLESS LOAD

CHARACTERISTIC
• It is the curve of terminal volts (Vt) against excitation (If) when

armature is delivering rated current at zero p.f
The zero p.f. lagging curve can be obtained

• If a similar machine is available which may be driven at no-
load as a synchronous motor at practically zero p.F. or by
loading the alternator with pure reactors
• By connecting the alternator to a 3-phase line with ammeters

and wattmeter connected for measuring current and power and
by so adjusting the field current that we get full load armature
current with zero wattmeter reading.
VOLTAGE REGULATION
• If we vectorially add to V the drop due to resistance and leakage

reactance Xl, we get E.
• If to E is further added the drop due to armature reaction (assuming

lagging P.F.), Then we get E0.
VOLTAGE REGULATION
iii. Zero Power Factor Method or Potier
Method
Steps to find VR
1. Draw OCC, ZPFC and airgap line

2. At rated voltage draw a horizontal line to
ZPFC to B
3. Draw BC = OA
4. Draw CD parallel with air gap line
5. Join BD
6. Draw DH perpendicular to BC
7. Triangle ABC is called Potier triangle
VOLTAGE REGULATION
iii. Zero Power Factor Method or Potier
Method
IaXl drop
Xl = BC/Ia
C Ifl H Ifa B
Ifa Field current to compensate

armature reaction
Ifl Field current to compensate
leakage reactance
VOLTAGE REGULATION
Er is the airgap voltage
Er = √( V cosՓ+IaRa)2+ (V sinՓ ± IaXl)2
Measure Ifr from OCC corresponding to Er

Add Ifa with Ifr
Er
Ift
Ifa
Ifr
For lagging pf
Measure Efr
Voltage regulation = E-V/V*100 The gap between OCC and ZPFC is IaXs drop
Sl EMF method MMF method ZPF method
no
1 VR is more than VR is less than Also called
actual voltage actual voltage Potier Method
regulation regulation
2 Pessimistic method Optimistic method.
3 More accurate
method
VOLTAGE REGULATION
ASA METHOD
American Standard Association method
• In this method effect of saturation is also considered
• It is the combination of EMF and MMF method
• ZPF method is the common method, but in ZPF salient pole

machines will have huge error
• MMF and EMF methods are not used for salient pole
machines
• ASA method is used for both

VOLTAGE REGULATION
VOLTAGE REGULATION IN
EMF METHOD >ASA METHOD>ZPF METHOD>MMF METHOD

CHARACTERISTICS OF ALTERNATOR
1. OCC E v/s If
2. SCC Isc v/s If
3. ZPFC Vt v/s If
4. Load characteristics Vt v/s If at Ia p.f and N constant
5. External characteristics Vt v/s Ia
OCC E v/s If & SCC Isc(Ia) v/s If

ZPFC Vt v/s If & OCC E v/s If

Load characteristics Vt v/s If at Ia p.f and N constant

External characteristics Vt v/s Ia

SHORT CIRCUIT RATIO
Main field current required to

generate rated voltage under open
circuit condition
Short circuit ratio =
Main field current required to
generate rated current under short
circuit condition
= Ifm/Ifa
= 1/IaZs/V
= 1/Zs (pu)
≈ 1/Xs pu
SHORT CIRCUIT RATIO
SCR α 1/Xs
Xs approximate to Xa because major part of Xs is Xa
So SCR α 1/Xa α 1/armature reaction

SCR low, Xa high V = E – IaXs low
• Voltage regulation (depends on armature reaction) α 1/SCR

• Armature reaction α Փa α armature mmf/Reluctance
• Reluctance depends on airgap
• SCR α air gap length α 1/armature reaction
• Size of machine α air gap length α SCR
EVSinδ
Power =
Xs
P α 1/Xs α SCR
SYNCHRONISING POWER COEFFIENT or STABILITY FACTOR
It is a measure of degree of stability

If Psy more then stability more
Psy = d/dt(power)
EV/Xs cosδ
Stability α Psy α 1/Xs α air gap

length If airgap increases
For increasing the stability increase More scope of over excitation
the air gap If the machine is over excited
Then strong locking of stator and rotor
How?? this increases the stability
If airgap increases
Reluctance increases (so if If
increases m/c will not saturate)
So wide range of voltage control is
possible
Air gap of Induction m/c < dc machine < synchronous m/c <synchronous machine
• In case of synchronous machines stability is more concern

• The power factor can be adjusted by changing field current
• In Induction machines magnetizing current increase when airgap length increases,
hence power factor reduces
value of SCR – 0.6 to 0.9 for cylindrical rotor m/c

- 0.9 to 1.5 for salient pole m/c
- 0.4 for synchronous condenser
Air gap length of synch m/c = 3 times that of IM

Armature reaction α 1/SCR
Voltage regulation α 1/SCR
Air gap length α SCR

Size α SCR
Cost α SCR
Pout α SCR
Psy α SCR
Stability α SCR

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ALTERNATOR

Methods to find Voltage regulation

ii. M.M.F. or Ampere-turn Method

• Armature leakage reactance is treated as an additional armature reaction(mmf

• Find Ift = Ifm + Ifa (Vector sum)

Methods to find Voltage regulation

ii. M.M.F. or Ampere-turn Method

• Sum in any p.f. between zero (lagging or leading) and unity

• Field ampere-turns OA corresponding to V(or V + IRa cos Փ)

Methods to find Voltage regulation

ii. M.M.F. or Ampere-turn Method

• OA represents field current for normal voltage

• OC represents field current required for

• The total field current is OB (Ift) for which the

Methods to find Voltage regulation

ii. M.M.F. or Ampere-turn Method

• Project Ift to OCC and take the value, which is E

● That is why it is sometimes referred to as optimistic method.

Methods to find Voltage regulation

iii. Zero Power Factor Method or Potier Method

• It gives more accurate results

ZERO POWER FACTOR CURVE ALSO CALLED WATTLESS LOAD

• It is the curve of terminal volts (Vt) against excitation (If) when

The zero p.f. lagging curve can be obtained

• By connecting the alternator to a 3-phase line with ammeters

Methods to find Voltage regulation

iii. Zero Power Factor Method or Potier Method

• If we vectorially add to V the drop due to resistance and leakage

• If to E is further added the drop due to armature reaction (assuming

1. Draw OCC, ZPFC and airgap line

Ifa Field current to compensate

Er = √( V cosՓ+IaRa)2+ (V sinՓ ± IaXl)2

Measure Ifr from OCC corresponding to Er

2 Pessimistic method Optimistic method.

• In this method effect of saturation is also considered

• It is the combination of EMF and MMF method

• ZPF method is the common method, but in ZPF salient pole

• ASA method is used for both

EMF METHOD >ASA METHOD>ZPF METHOD>MMF METHOD

OCC E v/s If & SCC Isc(Ia) v/s If

ZPFC Vt v/s If & OCC E v/s If

Load characteristics Vt v/s If at Ia p.f and N constant

External characteristics Vt v/s Ia

Main field current required to

So SCR α 1/Xa α 1/armature reaction

• Voltage regulation (depends on armature reaction) α 1/SCR

It is a measure of degree of stability

Stability α Psy α 1/Xs α air gap

• In case of synchronous machines stability is more concern

value of SCR – 0.6 to 0.9 for cylindrical rotor m/c

Air gap length of synch m/c = 3 times that of IM

Air gap length α SCR

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